Interliga: Few U.S. standouts venture to Mexico for soccer

INTERLIGAPlayers not crossing borderOnly a handful of Americans test luck in Mexico

BERNARDO FALLAS, Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Published 6:30 am, Saturday, January 5, 2008

Photo: OMAR TORRES, AFP/Getty Images

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Edgar Castillo (in green) is one of the U.S. born or -groomed players in the 18-team Mexican First Division for 2008.

Edgar Castillo (in green) is one of the U.S. born or -groomed players in the 18-team Mexican First Division for 2008.

Photo: OMAR TORRES, AFP/Getty Images

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Goals were hard to come by Thursday as Club América's Salvador Cabañas, left, battles for control of the ball against Morelia's Adrian Aldrete, center, and Horacio Cervantes

Goals were hard to come by Thursday as Club América's Salvador Cabañas, left, battles for control of the ball against Morelia's Adrian Aldrete, center, and Horacio Cervantes

Photo: SHARÓN STEINMANN, CHRONICLE

Interliga: Few U.S. standouts venture to Mexico for soccer

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Morelia midfielder Sonny Guadarrama trotted into Thursday's 1-0 InterLiga loss to Club América with the anonymity expected of a young second-half sub in Mexico's top soccer league.

Only a handful of Guadarrama's relatives who had made the short trip to Robertson Stadium knew he was feeling right at home in Houston.

"This was my playground," said Guadarrama, a humble 20-year-old former Campbell University star who honed his skills in his native Austin. "I always used to come to Houston to play with the Austin Capitals (in) Humble, Kingwood, all those places."

That's right. Guadarrama is an American in the Mexican First Division, one of only a handful trying to live the soccer dream south of the border.

Another American, Orange, Calif., native Mike Orozco, arrived in town late Friday ahead of tonight's InterLiga Group B action at Robertson. A defender with San Luis, he will take on UNAM Pumas in the nightcap of a doubleheader highlighted by the Monterrey-Cruz Azul showdown starting at 7 p.m.

While the Mexican First Division is one of the strongest, most diverse and best paying leagues this side of the Atlantic, it draws few American players, particularly since the advent of Major League Soccer in 1996.

"I'll be honest with you; I have no idea why (that is)," said Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear, who spent a season in Mexico with Necaxa in 1995 and "loved it."

Theories abound, from it being a language issue to there being an overall disinterest — or even a bias — by Mexican teams and scouts in the American product.

"The U.S. has thoroughly dominated the (national team) rivalry results-wise, yet you never hear those Mexican teams come for those American players," Kinnear said. "I find that kind of funny."

The disinterest is likely mutual. Kinnear points out that a vast number of American prospects are more likely to dream of one day playing for a European side, particularly in England, where about two dozen Americans play.

In similar fashion, MLS has struggled to lure Mexican players. Perhaps Monterrey star striker Jared Borgetti, who turned down recent offers to come to MLS, put it best Friday: "MLS is attractive (to Mexican players). What happens is that, obviously, when a player has an offer in the States and has a matching one in Mexico, he'll want to stay where home is, and where the league continues to be much more competitive."

The concept may apply to Americans. But there is another reason for the lack of them down south, Borgetti said.

"There's plenty of talent in Mexico, and usually coaches look to South America for a different type of player," he said.